The Atlas Obscura Podcast's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

2021
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What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?

Asian giant hornets, or murder hornets, are officially eradicated in the U.S. and Canada—for now.

Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations

Don’t do anything Dylan wouldn’t do.

Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat

This 1991 experiment spawned a wave of new research about engineering, agriculture, and space exploration.

french revolution

The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison

Napoleon spent his final years in exile throwing dinner parties for his generals.

How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?

When your new partner shows up without luggage, or, worse yet, turns out to be a morning person.

The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus

The iconic Antarctic airport shuttle is retiring from McMurdo Station after 30 years of service. What will he do next?

What Makes a Pest a Pest?

Cats and rats both hunt endangered species. So why do we love one and hate the other?

How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia

Luis Sorriano straps his books to two trusted donkeys and brings the classroom to children in hard-to-reach towns.

What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?

The only skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright designed is currently sitting empty. Turns out, its design was maybe a little too considered.

The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display

You can visit the father of utilitarianism anytime you like. But will it make you happy?

The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)

What’s the real story behind America’s most infamous Air Force base?

How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession

In the 1860s and ’70s, people would gather, listen to live music, eat delicious food, and ... watch people walk in circles?

This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage

Located across from a bookstore in Alresford, England, this public toilet served as an information superhighway for spies.

The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery

In 1800, Elma Sands was found murdered at the bottom of the Manhattan Well. What followed was America’s first recorded trial.

Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage

An urban explorer ventured deep below the bustling streets of downtown Minneapolis. He discovered more than he bargained for.

The Ancient Greek Guide to Succeeding at Dinner Parties

Want to be a hit at a third-century Roman dinner party? Look no further than ‘Deipnosophistae’ by Athenaeus of Naucratis.

AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?

We look for wonder everywhere we go. But today, let’s talk about the trips that aren’t worth it.

The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound Changed Live Music Forever

Filling four trucks and as loud as an airplane taking off, the Wall of Sound was the largest, most sophisticated sound system ever built. It nearly destroyed the band.

AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?

Our hosts offer unsolicited relationship advice.

How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries

The kolache is a traditional Czech pastry with sweet or savory fillings. The Texas kolache is bigger, fluffier, and sometimes filled with an entire Hershey chocolate bar.

Who Swarmed Langley Air Force Base With Drones?

For 17 nights in 2024, unidentified drones circled the historic Air Force base. To this day, no official explanation has been given.

Where Would You Go to Wait for the Apocalypse?

Would you experience something new or go somewhere familiar? You’ll find our team at a lake house, in a comic shop, or ... at Costco?

Prowling for Coyotes in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery

After losing her childhood dog to a pack of coyotes, Radiolab’s Lulu Miller sets out to learn more about their true nature.

How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire

Donning heavy wool skirts and hobnail boots, this intrepid explorer retraces the steps of legendary women adventurers.